1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a waterproof connector of the type in which a connector housing has a terminal accommodation chamber sealed with a xe2x80x9cbody of soft sealing materialxe2x80x9d (hereafter simply called xe2x80x9csoft sealing materialxe2x80x9d), and to a waterproofing method therefor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have been disclosed waterproof connectors of such a type in U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,692, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 64-63282 and Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-open Publication No. 4-101380.
A conventional waterproof connector of this type includes a housing in which a terminal accommodation chamber is formed, a terminal connected to an end of an electric wire and accommodated in the terminal accommodation chamber, and a soft sealing material for sealing the inside of the terminal accommodation chamber. The soft sealing material comprises a body of a gel, such as of silicon, and tight contacts on an inner wall of the housing and an outer periphery of the electric wire so as to prevent water from entering into the terminal accommodation chamber from a space between the outer periphery of the electric wire and the inner wall of the housing.
The soft sealing material is mounted on a wire outlet side of the housing, and is prevented from dropping out of the housing by means of a stopper member inserted in a rear end of the housing. The soft sealing material is formed with a plurality of slits through which the terminal and the electric wire are inserted.
In the waterproof connector, in order to assemble the terminal to the housing, the soft sealing material is inserted in the housing from an opening formed at the outlet side of the electric wire and tight contacted on the inner wall of the housing, and in this state, the terminal is accommodated. Next, the stopper member is inserted in the rear end, thereby preventing the soft sealing material from dropping out.
From this state, the terminal is inserted in the slit and forced through the slit, so that the terminal is inserted and accommodated in the terminal accommodation chamber, and the electric wire is inserted through the slit.
At that time, as the soft sealing material is surrounded by the inner wall of the housing, the slit is compressed and tight contacted on the outer periphery of the electric wire.
By this structure, water is prevented from entering from the space between the outer periphery of the electric wire and the inner wall of the housing.
From this state, as the terminal is inserted through the compressed slit, the terminal scrapes the soft sealing material. Further, scraps of soft sealing material are carried with the terminal in the terminal accommodation chamber. Therefore, when the terminal is connected to a mating terminal, the scraps of soft sealing material which is an insulating material intervene between the terminals, and the sureness of the connection is deteriorated.
Scraped soft sealing material causes a deterioration of waterproof performance.
The present invention has been achieved with such points in view.
It therefore is an object of the present invention to provide a waterproof connector and a waterproofing method therefor, without causing a terminal to scrape a soft sealing material nor to carry scraps thereof, allowing the soft sealing material to have a maintained sealing performance.
To achieve the object, an aspect of the invention provides a waterproof connector which comprises a terminal connected to an electric wire, a housing having a chamber for accommodating the terminal and a passage for passing the electric wire, and a soft sealing body for sealing the passage with a sealing configuration thereof, the soft sealing body having an insertion hole for the terminal to be inserted therethrough to the chamber, and in which the soft sealing body is pressed to be compressed from an initial configuration thereof, where the insertion hole is larger in section than the terminal, to the sealing configuration, where the insertion hole tight contacts on the electric wire.
According to the aspect of the invention, the terminal connected to the electric wire can be inserted to the chamber through the insertion hole which is larger in section than the terminal in the initial configuration of the soft sealing body, without scraping an inside of the insertion hole nor carrying scraps to the chamber, before the soft sealing body is pressed for compression to the sealing configuration in which the insertion hole tight contacts on the electric wire, so that an effective sealing is achieved around the electric wire, as well as to the passage.
Further to achieve the object described, another aspect of the invention provides a waterproof connector fabrication method comprising the steps of providing a housing having a chamber with a passage, connecting a terminal to an electric wire, providing a soft sealing body with an initial configuration thereof having an insertion hole larger in section than the terminal, inserting the terminal through the insertion hole to the chamber, thereby accommodating the terminal in the chamber with the electric wire passing the passage; and pressing the soft sealing body to be compressed from the initial configuration thereof to a sealing configuration thereof in which the insertion hole tight contacts on the electric wire, thereby sealing the passage.
According to this aspect also, there can achieved like effects to that aspect of the invention.